


Confessions

by intheclearyet



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, natasha feels guilty, someone's gotta tell laura what happened
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-07
Updated: 2016-05-07
Packaged: 2018-06-06 21:37:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6771205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/intheclearyet/pseuds/intheclearyet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When it came to informing Laura Barton what happened to Clint, Natasha took the task on. She didn't realize exactly how guilty she'd feel about it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Confessions

**Author's Note:**

> I felt so bad for Laura! Like, they don't even mention her feelings about Clint's actions. Marriage is 100% supposed to be a partnership and literally... she'd just had a baby. Way to be a dick, Clint!

Natasha had not been looking forward to this conversation. The white farm the team – now so broken – had hidden on only a few months back seemed so much emptier without the rest of the team there. Laura deserved to know what happened with Clint and where Clint was. The guilt was eating Natasha alive. She'd brought Clint in personally. Natasha swallowed hard before stepping up onto the patio, knocking on the door and praying that Laura wouldn't be home. It was her unfortunate luck that Laura opened the door with a bright smile.

“Nat,” Laura said, so warmly that Natasha flinched as if Laura had slapped her. It would've been better if Laura had slapped her. Laura's kind hug was one that Natasha did not deserve. “Come on in! Where's Clint? He's supposed to be home ages ago and Lila misses her dad!”

It was like a kick to the gut. Natasha didn't even know if her face was the mask of indifference she normally wore. Would Laura see through that? Laura had gotten to know her so well... Natasha could comfortably say that Laura was her best friend. “He's... not going to be home for a while.”

Laura's jaw tightened and just a bit of that light in her eyes dimmed. Natasha knew that look – it was the resigned look she gave every time Clint had been called out. Like clockwork, Laura went to the kitchen to make them both a cup of coffee. “I thought he was retired,” Laura said, a hint of repressed anger leaking through. “He said he was done... that SHIELD had been dissolved. Who gave him the mission this time?”

“Captain Rogers,” Natasha said. It was honest enough, but even keeping the truth from Laura felt dishonest. She'd find out eventually... “Actually... Captain Rogers and his team, including Clint, went rogue. Clint... was arrested twenty-four hours ago, as was the rest of the team. Captain Rogers escaped capture.”

Two mugs shattered in the kitchen. Natasha instantly moved to the noise, where Laura was on the floor with her head in her hands. “Clint was arrested,” Laura asked quizzically. “For what?”

Natasha swallowed again. Comfort was not her forte... yet still Natasha sat cross legged next to Laura with a blank look on her face. “One hundred and seventy two countries created a set of rules for the Avengers to abide by. These rules were ratified two weeks ago. Captain Rogers disagreed with the rules... and Clint took his side. As a result, all of those who had taken Captain Rogers's broke a few international laws in the disagreement with Stark and his team. Stark's team took in Clint.”

“Clint broke the law,” Laura said, her eyes narrowing slightly. Natasha instinctively moved back from Laura. “Why aren't you in jail with him?”

“I was on Stark's team,” Natasha admitted, figuring she might as well be fully honest with Laura. It was nothing Laura wouldn't be able to find out anyway. It would be made public soon. “I filled out the paperwork for Clint's arrest.”

Laura nodded and stood up abruptly. There was anger radiating off of Laura that made Natasha flinch for entirely different reasons. “Right,” Laura said with a nod and a resigned sigh. “You can tell Clint that he isn't allowed back when he gets out.”

"What do you mean?"

“I mean I'm done,” Laura said as she grabbed a broom, sweeping up the mess of the mugs she'd made. “I can understand his missions that were service to this country. I can understand the spying, I can understand him being on the right side of the law. But it's very clear that he wasn't thinking. He should have stayed _home_ , where he _belongs_. Who's going to help me take care of Nathaniel? He's only a few months old! Did he even _care_?”

With each word, Laura grew more hysterical... and Natasha felt even more guilty. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought him in...”

Laura looked over at Natasha quizzically. “What do you mean? You didn't force him to break international law,” Laura said as she finished sweeping up the mess and throwing the shards away. “You did your job as you were supposed to. It's not your fault that Clint was arrested. If you hadn't done it, someone else would have.”

Natasha looked down at the floor. “I'll help you take care of the kids,” she said finally after a few moments, getting up.

Laura smiled softly. “Of course you would... c'mon. Lila would want to see her aunt Tasha...”

 


End file.
